


The Little Moments, Our Moments

by BowieLover73



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, No Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-14
Updated: 2016-06-30
Packaged: 2018-07-14 23:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 18,792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7195142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BowieLover73/pseuds/BowieLover73
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of unrelated, fluffy, short one-shots. Canon and canon-divergent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Early Morning Pillow Talk

“So I went to a wedding the other day.”

Shaw didn’t respond, opting to bury herself deeper into her pillow with a grunt.

“It was nice,” Root continued as if she wasn’t having this conversation at three in the morning. “A bit somber considering the circumstances,” she said, scrunching up her face as she stared at the bedroom ceiling. “Still...nice.”

Shaw huffed, blowing small strands of loose hair from her face. She flipped onto her side, facing away from Root. After a moment of silence, she released a content sigh.

“Wasn’t a big fan of the color scheme.”

Shaw’s whole body tensed. Her eyes sprang open and narrowed into slits. Releasing a groan, she turned over and glared at Root. “Seriously?” she hissed tiredly as her eyes adjusted and took in Root’s nonchalant face bathed in moonlight.

Root lulled her head to the side, eyes shining with adoration. “Have you ever thought about marriage?”

Shaw’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s three in the morning and you wanna talk about _marriage_?” She asked with an incredulous look.

Root only grinned in response.

Shaw shook her head, a small smile of disbelief tugging at her lips. “Unbelievable,” Shaw chuckled quietly. She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know,” she finally said, after a beat.

Root turned onto her side, fully facing Shaw. “It’s a yes or no question, Sameen.”

Shaw rolled her eyes. “Can’t say it’s been at the forefront of my thoughts.” She said, shrugging once again.

“Of course not,” Root said as her eyes took on a mischievous look. “That spot’s reserved for me.”

Shaw looked away then. She ran a hand tiredly down her face, hiding the small grin that threatened to spill across her lips. “Go to sleep, Root.” She said before shutting her eyes.

Root smirked, willing to let the conversation die out for now. “Goodnight, Shaw,” she whispered, leaning forward to place a small kiss on Sameen's forehead. Turning onto her side, she settled in for sleep.

She missed the full-blown grin that stretched across Shaw’s face.


	2. Lovers' Quarrel

“Root, you’re really gonna give me the silent treatment? Really?”

Was the first thing Harold heard as he made his way into the subway. Rounding the corner, he spotted Shaw staring Root down with her hands on her hips. The hacker was blatantly ignoring Shaw, typing away on the computer.

Harold released a quiet sigh, bracing himself as he shuffled over to them. He placed his briefcase on the desk, eyeing the women cautiously. “Miss Groves, Miss Shaw. How are you—”

“Finch,” Shaw said, thrusting a finger in Root’s direction. “Tell her to talk to me.”

Harold blinked. “I beg your pardon?”

Shaw huffed with annoyance. “Root’s not talking to me.”

Harold nodded slowly. “I’m afraid to ask why,” he said honestly. It takes a lot to make Root go silent.

Shaw rolled her tongue over her front teeth, crossing her arms. “All I did was break a couple of her laptops.”

Harold frowned. “Oh. Well that doesn’t seem—”

“Break?” Root spat as she swiveled around to face Shaw. “You shot up five of them.”

Shaw froze for a moment, surprised Root had finally broken her hour long bought of silence. She felt her stomach churn, minutely, with hope. Shaking her head, she scoffed. “You said you hardly used them anymore.”

Root narrowed her eyes, throwing her hands up. “So that gives you the right to fill them with bullet holes?”

“Figured I’d get some target practice in,” Shaw said with a shrug. At Root’s look, she added, “Well, what do you expect when you’ve got me locked down here with nothing to do?”

Harold jumped in before Root could reply. “It’s for your own protection, Miss Shaw.”

Shaw rolled her eyes.

He continued, “I’m sure we could have found something to relieve your boredom.”

Root smiled sardonically, “Oh I knew exactly what she needed to cope with her boredom, Harry,” she said, keeping her eyes on Shaw. “And she won’t be getting _that_ for a while.”

Shaw’s eyes widened briefly with disbelief. After a moment, she shook her head. “Now you’re just punishing yourself, Root,” she said with a small chuckle, looking away.

Root’s face went steely. “Try me.”

Shaw’s head whipped towards Root. She felt a small chill run down her spine at the look the hacker was shooting in her direction. She quirked an eyebrow. “You’re being serious.”

Harold awkwardly cleared his throat. “Um. Miss Shaw? Have you tried apologizing?”

Shaw huffed out a laugh, crossing her arms. “I’m not apologizing.”

Root rolled her eyes, turning back towards the computer.

Shaw clenched her jaw, pursing her lips stubbornly.

Harold sighed. He quietly stepped towards Shaw, placing an awkward hand on her shoulder. “Sometimes a simple apology can go a long way,” he said before making his way towards the subway car.

Shaw released an annoyed breath through her nose, closing her eyes briefly. After mentally counting to ten, she opened her eyes and took a few tentative steps towards Root. Shoving her hands into her pockets she cleared her throat.

“So,” she whispered, eyeing the desktop monitor with faux interest. “Coding, huh?”

Root ignored her.

Shaw shifted her gaze over to the hacker, watching her quietly for a moment. When Root refused to look her way, she sighed, moving her eyes upwards. “You’re really gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”

Silence.

Shaw shook her head, sighing again. “I’m sorry, okay?”

Root stopped typing.

Shaw continued. “It was wrong for me to turn your laptops into Swiss Cheese XP.”

Root bit back a smile at that. Shaw felt a small bundle of warmth spread across her chest.

Shaw tilted her head playfully. “Forgive me?” she asked with the tiny grin she reserved for Root alone.

Root finally met Shaw’s eyes. A slow smile spread across her face, “I forgive you, Sameen.”

“Finally,” Shaw said, dropping the grin. “It’s creepy when you’re quiet like that.”

“Awww.” Root tilted her head, eye twinkling with mirth. “Did you miss my voice?”

Shaw narrowed her eyes. “Next time, I should just use _you_ for target practice.”

Root smirked. She stood from her seat and leaned towards Shaw. “Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve penetrated me.”

“I can hear you!” Harold screeched from the subway car.


	3. Damn Those Three Words

Root had never expected nor needed to hear Shaw say, “I love you.” However, she would be lying if she said it didn’t feel damn good to hear it. She was now borderline addicted to hearing those three simple, yet powerful, words spill from her girlfriend's lips.

It was first said during the climax of war. Samaritan had just fallen, they were battle worn and bruised when Shaw turned to Root and without preamble, told Root she loved her. That was two weeks ago and ever since, Root hasn’t stopped smiling like a giddy schoolgirl. Shaw told her not to make a big deal out of it, but it was.

It was a big deal.

Root was humming silently to herself as she cleaned up a few odds and ends in the safe house Finch had them all holed up in. An extra precaution, he had said, until everything died down and the Machine had fully recovered. They were getting numbers, but the Machine still bugged out every now and then.

The front door opened and Root immediately froze, whipping out her gun and aiming it towards door. Harold entered and stopped halfway over the threshold. Reese stood cooly behind him, unperturbed.

Root smiled, sliding her gun back into her waistband. “Sorry about that, Harry. Reflex.”

“It’s quite alright, Miss Groves,” Harold replied, ambling inside the spacious apartment.

Reese followed him. “At least we weren’t the pizza guy,” he said in lieu of a greeting.

Root gave him a look. “That was one time.” She said with a defensive shrug. “Besides, we ended up getting a free meal out of it. “

“If you two are done,” Harold interrupted as he made his way over to their clear dry erase board and taped a picture of a man onto it. “We have a new number by the name of Jorge Mendez.”

“Did someone say number?” A sleepy voice called from across the room.

Root smiled. “Good morning, Sweetie.” She titled her head. “The boys are here with a new mission.”

Harold nodded, placing his laptop on the desk. “Yes, Miss Shaw, we have—” Finch froze as he took in Shaw’s attire. “Um.”

Shaw frowned at him with confusion. “What?”

Reese smirked. “Nice slippers, Shaw.”

Shaw’s face blanched. She immediately kicked off said bunny slippers, “Damn it, Root. When did you get those on me?” she asked, shooting a glare at her girlfriend. Bear swooped in and began chewing on one of the discarded shoes.

Root grinned, moving over to Shaw. “This morning. Your feet looked cold.” She placed a small kiss on Shaw’s cheek. “I didn’t want my girl getting sick.”

Shaw rolled her jaw in annoyance.

Root placed and arm around Shaw’s shoulders, turning back to Harold. “The number?”

Finch snapped out of his daze. “Right.” He said, turning back to his laptop. “Jorge Mendez. A very successful businessman. He owns several plumbing companies throughout the east coast and has a completely clean criminal record. Not even a parking violation.”

Reese frowned. “So I’m guessing he’s the victim.”

“It appears that way, but we can’t be sure,” Finch said. He turned to look at Reese. “I would like for you and Miss Shaw to follow Mister Mendez. He should be at one of his offices, in the city. I’ll send you the coordinates.”

“Where do you need me, Harry?” Root asked.

“Here,” Finch said, pulling out another laptop. “Perhaps we can find more information on Mister Mendez. Look for anything out of the ordinary.”

Reese turned to Shaw. “Get dressed. I’ll be in the car,” he said before he exited the room.

Root moved in front of Shaw, wrapping her arms around Shaw’s neck. She pulled her in close as Shaw’s hands remained by her sides. “Be safe out there,” Root whispered.

Shaw tucked her nose into the crook of Root’s neck. “I will.”

Root pulled back, meeting Shaw’s eyes. “I love you.”

Shaw tensed her eyes fleeting over to Finch who sat uncomfortably at his laptop, hearing the intimate exchange. Shaw turned back to Root and cleared her throat awkwardly. She nodded and went to move out of Root’s arms, but Root stopped her.

“Say it, Sameen,” Root said in a sing-song voice.

Shaw sighed as her eyes darted back to Finch briefly. She shifted her weight nervously and leaned up towards Root’s good ear. “I love you too,” she said in a hushed voice before quickly retreating to their bedroom.

\---

Reese and Shaw sat silently in their car as they watched their number speak with his secretary. It was slow going at the moment and not much had happened in the past hour.

“So,” Reese said, keeping his eyes straight ahead. “Bunny slippers.”

Shaw clenched her jaw but said nothing.

“Didn’t know you were into that, Shaw.”

Shaw shot him a glare. “I will cut you into little pieces and feed you to a pack of hounds.”

Reese only smirked in response.

Shaw angrily turned on her com. “You got anything, Finch?”

_“Nothing yet, Shaw.”_

Shaw’s eyebrow pitched. “Root?”

_“Harold went to go have a little chat with one of Mendez’s former, disgruntled employees. It’s a long shot, but worth a try.”_

“Tell us when you’ve got something,” Shaw said with a bit more attitude than she intended.

_“Somebody sounds like a grumpy kitten.”_

Reese turned to look at Shaw with raised brows. He mouthed, “Grumpy kitten.”

Shaw pinched the bridge of her nose. “Root. Put us on a private line.” She heard a brief clicking sound.

_“Did you wanna say something dirty to me, Sameen?”_

Shaw shifted so she was huddled away from Reese. “What did I tell you about boundaries?”

_“Are you still upset about this morning, because of the slippers?”_

Shaw paused. “Yes.”

_“It won’t happen again, I promise.”_

Shaw narrowed her eyes. She just knew Root was sporting that condescending smile of hers right now.

_“I’ve gotta go. I think Harold’s gathered some intel.”_

“Fine.”

_“I love you.”_

Shaw peeked over her shoulder. Reese seemed preoccupied with watching their number. She cleared her throat. “Uh. Yeah, you too.”

_“Sameen.”_

“Root.”

_“Say it.”_

“I did.”

_“Shaw.”_

Shaw closed her eyes, shaking her head. Releasing a slow breath, she responded. “Dooset daram (I love you),” she straightened in her seat, turning back to their number. “And make sure they go light on the mayonnaise this time,” she added, loudly, before turning off her com.

Reese gave her a questioning look.

Shaw smirked. “Can’t do a stakeout on an empty stomach,” she said with a shrug.

Reese nodded, shifting his attention back to their number. Shaw sighed with relief as she fell back into her seat. It was quiet for a moment, then--

“Che naz (how cute).”

Shaw’s head whipped towards John as she stared at him with wide eyes. Reese grinned.


	4. Farsi 101 with Shaw

“Salam.”

“Say…lamb.”

“No, Root. Look at my lips.”

“Now that wouldn’t be fair.”

Shaw frowned, shifting slightly from her perch on the coffee table. “What?”

“A gal could get distracted doing that,” Root said with a small grin.

Shaw blinked before shaking her head with amusement. “Come on, focus.”

Root sighed, leaning back into the couch. “You know, this would go by a lot faster if I used--”

“No.” Shaw pointed a finger at Root. “You’re not using Short Circuit to teach you Farsi. Not when you’ve got a full-fledged Persian sitting in front of you.”

“Hmm,” Root hummed. “Do I detect slight jealousy in your tone?”

“Please.” Shaw huffed out a chuckle. “Chip Carson has got nothing on me.”

Root raised an amused brow. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or afraid of your obscure eighties b-movie references, Sweetie.”

“Not Quite Human is a classic,” Shaw said instinctively, almost as if she were challenging the Hacker.

Root swallowed her comeback, opting to nod in conceit. She had learned not to argue with Shaw when it came to movies. The debate over what constituted as a “cult classic” and what didn’t went on forever. They once spent an hour arguing over which movie held more importance in pop culture: The Terminator or Titanic.

“Let’s get back to the lesson,” Shaw continued, resting her elbows on her thighs. “Salam.”

“Salam.”

“Good, now what comes after?”

Root bit her bottom lip in concentration. “Salam…to meimune mani.” The Hacker smiled proudly.

Shaw stared blankly at Root before her body shook with a quiet laughter.

Root’s smile dropped. “What? Isn’t that how ‘hello, how are you’ is said?” When Shaw’s laughter failed to seize, Root slapped a hand lightly against her leg. “Sameen! Stop laughing at me.”

Shaw blew out a breath, bringing her laughs to a minimum. “Yeah, there’s no way I’m bringing you to meet my mom anytime soon,” she said with a grin.

“Why? What did I say?”

“Hello, you are my monkey.”

A blush coated Root’s pale cheeks. “Oh.”

“Salam, chetori,” Shaw corrected with a smirk.

Root pouted, crossing her arms.

Shaw rolled her eyes at the childish display. “What?”

Root looked away, somewhat embarrassed. “It’s not very nice to laugh at someone trying to learn a new language, Shaw.”

Shaw raised a brow. “As opposed to the condescending little things you said, last mission, when I was sent to add that weird code to that nerd’s computer?”

Root scoffed. “I was _not_ condescending.”

Shaw straightened in her seat. “You could type a little faster, Sweetie,” she said in her best Root voice. “It’s really not that hard, Shaw. Next time I’ll send you a flash-drive, plug and play is more your style.” Shaw gave her a pointed look.

Root pursed her lips. “I see your point.”

Shaw nodded as a small grin tugged at her lips. She shuffled closer to Root sat in front of her. “You’ll get it. It’s just gonna take some practice…and maybe some prayer.”

Root shot her an unamused look. “Funny.”

Shaw raised her hands in surrender before placing them on Root’s thighs, giving them a small apologetic squeeze. “Let’s try another phrase.”

Root sighed. “I’m not really in the mood.”

“Just one more,” Shaw turned on the charm, flashing her bedroom eyes. “For me.”

Root narrowed her eyes. “Not fair.”

“All’s fair in love and Farsi.”

Root’s brows shot up, but she let that dorky one-liner slide. “Fine. For you.”

“Repeat after me…boosam.”

“Boo…sam.”

“Kon.”

“Kon.”

Shaw leaned forward and placed a kiss on Root’s lips. Root’s eyes widened with surprise. A small flush ran up her neck. “What did I just say?” she asked with a slight husk.

“Kiss me.”

Root bit her bottom lip. “Boosam kon.”

Shaw grinned, bringing their lips together once again.

Eyes still closed, Root whispered, “Boosam kon.”

Shaw kissed her again. Root wrapped her arms around Shaw’s neck, pulling her closer. Shaw slid from her seat on the coffee table and onto the couch with Root, deepening the kiss. Root pulled back with a smile, bumping their noses together as they exchanged labored breaths.

“Now this is a teaching lesson I can get used to,” Root said with half lidded eyes.

Shaw smirked. “Ready to score some extra credit points?” she asked before surging forward and pushing Root down onto her back as their lips connected once more.

It was safe to say, no more Farsi was learned for the rest of that evening.


	5. A Little Loopy

Root and Shaw stumbled into their apartment nearly collapsing onto the floor. Root let out an uncharacteristic grunt as she held tightly onto Shaw’s side. Her eyes widened as Shaw giggled uncontrollably. Root attempted to remove Shaw’s heavy arm from around her shoulders.

“Shaw, come on,” she said, lightly pushing Shaw away. “I know you can stand on your own.”

Shaw smiled at Root. “I got…I got shot, Root.” She giggled as she moved away from Root, taking somewhat stable steps away from the her as she made a beeline for the refrigerator.

Root sighed, closing the front door. “I know, Sweetie.”

Their number had managed to shoot Shaw up with a barbiturate that had the sociopath loopy and out of her mind for the past half hour. Root and the team had decided it would be best to get her home as soon as possible until the drug was out of her system.

“Which should be in approximately eight hours,” Root mumbled, reciting the Machine’s words aloud.

“Whaaat?”

Root turned to look at Shaw and couldn’t help but smile endearingly, taking in her girlfriend’s current state. Shaw had a milk moustache coating her upper lip as she clutched an open milk carton in both of her hands.

Shaw squinted her eyes. “You’re always talking to your robot machine lover god.”

Root pointed at the milk carton. “Shaw.”

“Roooooot.”

Root crossed her arms. “We talked about drinking straight from the carton, remember?”

Shaw’s eyes went wide, as if she’d just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She quickly hid the milk carton behind her back. “I wasn’t drinking nothin’.”

Root chuckled. “Really?”

“Yup.”

Root made her way over to Shaw and wiped away the remnants of milk from Shaw’s upper lip with her thumb. “Then explain this.”

Shaw blinked slowly. “Magic.”

Root rolled her eyes playfully, snatching the milk carton from Shaw’s hands. She ignored the grumpy whine that spilled from Shaw’s lips as she placed the drink back into the fridge. “Let’s just leave that in here, okay?” she said, turning back to Shaw. “We should get you to bed for some sleep.”

Shaw stared forlornly at the refrigerator. “Is it gonna be here when I wake up?”

Root bit back a grin, attempting to keep a straight face. “It’ll be here when you wake up, Sam."

Shaw nodded. “Good, good.” After a moment, she frowned.

Root took hold of Shaw’s hand, giving it a small squeeze. “Shaw? Are you okay?”

Shaw slowly met Root’s eyes. “Will _you_?”

Root’s brow furrowed. “Will I what?”

“Will you be here when I wake up?” she asked with a small, unsure voice.

Root felt her heart flutter. “Yes.” She whispered. “I’ll be here.”

Shaw smiled bashfully. The expression looked odd yet strangely adorable on the sociopath. “Good. Cause…I like you more than milk.” Shaw said, toeing the wooden floor as she shifted her gaze down.

“I would hope so.” Root said with a small grin.

“Root.” Shaw looked up at Root, her face suddenly very serious. She slowly slid down onto one knee. “Root…” she whispered, reaching for her girlfriend’s left hand.

“S-Shaw?” Root said mortified. “What are you doing?”

“I’m gonna ask you something important,” Shaw said as if it were obvious.

“Shaw. Sweetie,” Root tried to tug her hand free, but Shaw held to it tightly. “You’re not thinking straight.”

“I never do.” Shaw smirked. “Because I’m bi.”

“Shaw, get up.”

“Noooo, no.” Shaw shook her head vigorously. “No. I’ve gotta do this. Lemme do this.”

“Please don’t,” Root said, swallowing thickly.

Shaw cleared her throat. She looked up at Root with hopeful eyes. “Root uh. You’re really hot and you’re only annoying sometimes.”

“That’s great, get up.”

“Like an ingrown hair, you’re always there.”

“….okay. Get up.”

“That’s why I, Sameen Shaw, want to ask you…”

Root covered her face with her free hand. “Shaw.”

“…will you…”

“Shaw, stop.”

“…share my guns?”

“Shaw you—wait.” Root dropped her right hand, looking at Shaw with disbelief. “Did you just say guns?”

Shaw bit her bottom lip and nodded. “I know it’s sudden, but I think you’re worth it.” Shaw gave her a dopey smile. “Annnnnd you look really hot shooting stuff,” she added, wiggling her eyebrows.

Root released a deep sigh of relief. She shook her head with a light chuckle. “Yes, I would love to share guns with you, Sameen,” she said with doting eyes.

Shaw grinned. “Cool.” She climbed to her feet and wrapped her arms around Root’s waist, pulling her in for a tight hug. She placed a small kiss on Root’s shoulder.

Root encircled Shaw’s neck with her arms. She laughed lightly. “For a second there I thought you were proposing to me.”

“Nooooo,” Shaw slurred. “I wasn’t gonna ask you to marry me.”

Root nodded as she closed her eyes and fell into the embrace.

Shaw hummed, tucking her face into the crook of Root’s neck. “I’ll save that for when I’m sober.”

Root’s eyes sprang open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the lovely comments. :)


	6. The Flight from Anchorage to Miami

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't help myself. Y'all get two today! Enjoy.

Root sure knew how to show a girl a good time. The moment Root had rolled up on Shaw and Reese with the offer to steal a jet, Shaw knew, it was gonna be fun. Taking hostages, shooting kneecaps, and kicking ass. Best day ever in Shaw’s books.

Oh and the sex in the jet’s private bedroom was an added bonus.

Shaw rolled off Root’s writhing body with a satisfied smile. They both breathed heavily as they came down from the ecstasy-filled high. Their naked bodies covered with a light sheen of sweat as their adrenaline finally came to a comfortable lull.

Root turned to her side, propping her head up with her hand. Her eyes wracked over Shaw’s body unabashedly. “Who taught you how to do that thing with your tongue?” she asked.

Shaw turned her head, smirking at the Hacker. “I have my ways.”

“Points for creativity,” Root leaned forward, bringing their lips together.

Shaw pulled Root in closer, briefly deepening the kiss. Root moaned into her mouth. Shaw pulled back with a grin. “I aim to please,” she whispered.

Root smiled, moving in for another kiss when suddenly Shaw pulled away. She watched with a light frown as the sociopath climbed out of bed and began putting on her discarded clothes. “What are you doing?” Root asked.

Shaw paused as she reached for her jeans. Clad in her boy shorts and a sport’s bra, she turned back to Root and shrugged. “This is usually when we part ways.”

Root chuckled. “And go where, Shaw? We’re thirty-five thousand feet in the air.”

Shaw’s jaw went slack. Oh. “Right…”

Root sat up. She wrapped the sheet around her upper body, suddenly feeling a slight chill. “We won’t be landing for seven hours and She says we’ll need the sleep.”

Shaw pointed at the bed. “But there’s only one bed.”

Root looked down, running a hand through her disheveled hair. “Gee make a gal feel unwanted, why don’t you?” she joked, but Shaw could hear the slight hurt in the quip.

Shaw shook her head. “No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just…”

“Just what?”

Shaw shifted her weight and shrugged. “We don’t do that. It’s usually a ‘hey, thanks for the orgasm, see you tomorrow’ kinda deal. We didn’t even sleep in the same room at the CIA drop off site.”

Root nodded slowly. Shaw had a point. They had been sleeping together for weeks, but staying the night was never a part of the… _arrangement_ they had going. Couldn’t really call it a “friends with benefits” situation, because they weren’t really friends? Root actually wasn’t sure what to call it, but she liked it. She liked _Shaw._

Root sighed with a shrug. “All I know is She needs us at the top of our game and we can’t be of any use to Her if we’re not well rested,” she said, deciding to go with the most logical response.

Shaw pursed her lips. “I’ll just take the couch in the cabin,” she said, turning to the exit. Root’s next words, however, stopped her in her tracks.

“She said you won’t be able to sleep properly and there’s a ninety-eight percent probability of you waking up with a sore neck and back,” Root spouted off verbatim. She gave Shaw a sheepish grin.

Shaw clenched her jaw, spinning on her foot. “Bed it is,” she muttered. She walked back over to the bed and took a seat, sitting on the edge.

Root chuckled. “You can move closer, Shaw. I’m not gonna bite…” She smirked then. “Well, unless you ask nicely.”

Shaw rolled her eyes before shifting underneath the covers. She laid on her back stock-still. “Don’t make this weird,” she said, glancing at Root from the corner of her eyes.

Root settled in beside her, leaving only a few inches between them. The bed didn’t allow for much space. A nervous energy filled the room. It made them both slightly uncomfortable.

Root broke the silence. “This is cozy.”

“You just made it weird.”

“I’ve never spent the night with my partners.”

Shaw looked at Root with an unreadable expression. “Really?”

Root turned to look at Shaw. “That surprises you?”

When Shaw thought about it, she found it didn’t really come as much of a shock. She didn’t know Root all that well, but the more time she spent with her, the more she found they had in common. She shook her head. “No.”

Root studied Shaw’s stoic features for a moment. “Have you ever spent the night?”

“You kiddin’ me?” Shaw said with a small huff. “One and done. Three’s the max. I don’t do sleepovers.”

Root quirked a brow. “That’s interesting.”

Shaw gave her a look. “What?”

“We’ve slept together more than three times,” Root said. No innuendo, no pressure for there to be more. Just stating a fact with a hint of curiosity.

Shaw looked away. After a quiet beat she asked, “So where are we headed next?”

Root bit back a smile, shifting her gaze to the jet’s ceiling. “Miami. Looks like we’ll be busting up an… _explosive_ party at a swanky bar by the beach.”

“Good." Shaw closed her eyes. "I could use a strong cocktail right about now.”


	7. Shades of Normal

It was one of those rare days off and Shaw planned to take full advantage of it. She had chips on the coffee table with a beer in hand, as she watched the game. She released a content sigh, leaning back into the couch. Life was good.

Root plopped down onto the seat beside her. “We need to talk.”

Shaw kept her eyes on the TV. “Later.” She took a slow pull from her bottle.

“Shaw.”

“I missed the game last night,” Shaw said, waving Root away. “We can talk after.”

Root’s head tilted to the side and her eyes took on a far-away expression. “The Tennessee Titans lose by nine.”

Shaw angrily clicked the TV off, tossing the remote down. Releasing an annoyed sigh, she turned her attention to Root. “What?”

“I live here.”

Shaw stared blankly at Root. “You interrupted game time to state the obvious?” she asked with raised brows. “I could shoot you right now.”

Root grinned patiently. “I think we should go shopping.”

“We just bought food like, two days ago.”

“No,” Root said slowly. “I think we should go shopping for some furniture.”

Shaw gave her an affronted look. “What’s wrong with the furniture we’ve got?”

“No offense, Sam, but your taste in design is…” Root scrunched up her face. “Stark. Besides, we need a new table after last night’s…play time.”

“How’s that tailbone?” Shaw smirked as she took a sip of her beer.

“Look, I know this sounds a bit childish, but…” Root paused, smiling to herself as she shook off the sudden nerves that started churning in her stomach. She felt stupid. “I want this place to be ours,” she finished quietly, looking down at her lap.

Shaw stilled, taking in Root’s somber demeanor. The Hacker looked small. As if she was afraid to hear what Shaw would think or say. Afraid to be embarrassed, which was unusual for Root, but every now and then her bravado cracked and Shaw found herself staring at a vulnerable young girl, trying to find her footing in this chaotic world.

Shaw set her drink on the coffee table and settled back into her seat quietly. “I’ve been meaning to get some training mats anyway.”

Root’s eyes shot up to Shaw. Well aware of the scrutiny, Shaw stared straight ahead with a small, thoughtful expression on her face. Root remained silent.

Shaw pointed to the corner of the room. “Maybe get a doggy bed for Bear when he’s over?” she asked as she turned to look at Root.

The Hacker could only nod as she felt a lump form in her throat. It was foolish, but Root actually felt like crying in that moment. Never in her life had she ever pictured herself “settling down” and it’s not that she was about to anytime soon, but this? What she had with Shaw, felt like the grounded bit of normality she had been chasing her whole life.

It warmed her heart in ways that she had never dreamed possible. Feeling like you belong somewhere…that you belong to and with _somebody_. It was the best and most terrifying feeling in the world.

Shaw saw Root’s change in expression and stiffened, wondering if she had said the wrong thing. Root could see the growing panic set deeply back in Shaw's eyes. She scooted closer to Shaw and intertwined their fingers together, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

Shaw internally sighed with relief.

Root gave her a watery smile, shifting so she could rest her head on Shaw’s muscular shoulder. Their clasped hands sat between them. “We could get a new bedroom set.”

Shaw nodded. “As long as it’s all black.”

“We also need new plates...”

“That’d be the third set this month.”

“Oh!” Root turned her head up to look at Shaw, eyes gleaming. “We should get a lava lamp.”

Shaw scoffed. “We’re not getting a lava lamp.”

They got a lava lamp.


	8. Caught Orange Handed

Shaw looked up from cleaning her gun, taking in her surroundings with an appreciative eye. She had to hand it Finch; he knew how to find the most creative headquarters NYC could offer pseudo vigilantes. After the subway was compromised, he had happened across their current location, an abandoned printing press from the 1930's. Like the library and the subway, it had character. 

Reese groaned in pain from his seat beside her.

Shaw rolled her eyes. "Shut up, you big baby."

Reese rubbed at his side. "I had to take down three guys," he said defensively.

"I took down five," Shaw shot back. "With a hand literally tied behind my back."

"Sounds like we missed all of the fun," Root said as she, Fusco and Finch entered the room. She pouted as she made her way over to Shaw. “Five guys with one hand and I didn't get to see?”

Shaw nodded proudly. “Didn’t even break a sweat.”

“That’s my girl,” Root whispered, bending down to peck Shaw’s lips.

Reese rolled his eyes.

Shaw grinned before schooling her features. “How was your number?” she asked, turning her attention back to her gun.

Root sighed, moving to stand behind Shaw’s chair. "Boring. It consisted of more watching than doing."

Fusco grunted. "Lucky me, I got stuck in the car with Crazy over here for two hours."

Root shot the detective a grin as she placed her hands on Shaw’s shoulders. "Don’t sound so sour. I thought we had a good time, Lionel."

Shaw held back a moan as Root gave her an impromptu massage. "What'd she do, Fusco? Talk your ear off?" She asked with a light grin.

"Surprisingly no." Fusco said with a light frown. "We passed the time by watching some show on her cellphone.”

Root’s eyes went wide.

Fusco continued, missing the panic on Root’s face. “It’s the one with all those women in prison or something. What was it called, Cocoa Puffs?"

Shaw tensed as she narrowed her eyes. “Women in prison?” she asked.

Root chuckled nervously. “Sweetie, are you hungry? I know how fighting can work up an appetite.” She rubbed her hands along Shaw’s muscular arms. “We should head out of here and--”

“No,” Shaw brushed Root’s hands away. She stood from her seat, clenching her fists. “You remember the name of this show, Lionel?”

Fusco’s brow furrowed with thought. “Uh…orange is the old—no, orange is the…”

Finch turned from his computer. “Orange is the New Black?”

“That’s the one!” Fusco said with a nod. “Yeah, we watched some new episodes of that. Not half bad.”

Reese gave Finch a look. “How did you know that, Finch?”

“When one is surrounded by college students it’s hard to miss out on the latest trendy fads,” Harold replied, turning back to the computer. “And I, too, have a Netflix subscription.”

Reese raised an eyebrow.

Shaw turned to glare at Root. “You didn’t.”

“Sameen,” Root paused as she gulped nervously. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Shaw turned on her heel and stomped out of the room. She shoulder checked Fusco on the way out the door. He stumbled back and huffed angrily. “What was that for?”

Root shut her eyes, dropping her head. She was screwed.

\---

Root was greeted with a pillow and some sheets shoved in her face as she stepped into their apartment. She released a sigh and tossed the items aside. “Shaw, just let me explain.”

“Explain it to the couch,” Shaw said, over her shoulder. “I’m going to bed.”

Root grabbed Shaw’s arm. “Sweetie--”

“No,” Shaw growled, tearing her arm from Root as she glared up at her. “You don’t get to ‘sweetie’ me, Root. Not after what you did.”

Root bit her bottom lip nervously. “It was only the first two episodes. We didn’t even see that much!”

Shaw rolled her eyes. “I don’t care how many episodes you watched. That’s not why I’m mad.”

Root frowned. “But…then why are you mad?”

Shaw glared at her for a moment before looking away. She shook her head. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter,” she muttered as she turned and headed for their bedroom.

“Wait,” Root quickly blocked Shaw’s way. “You’re not mad that I watched the show…you’re mad at _who_ I watched the show with, is…is that what it is?” she asked, ducking her head to meet Shaw’s eyes.

An angry pout formed on the Shaw’s lips. “That’s _our_ thing,” she said, keeping her eyes down.

Root couldn’t hold back the endearing smile that stretched across her face. “Awww, Sameen.”

Shaw rolled her eyes. “Shut up. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything,” she muttered as a light blush coated her cheeks. “Whatever, I don’t care,” she added with a shrug.

Root tilted her head, giving her a look of disbelief. She slowly inched forward and wrapped her arms around Shaw’s neck. Shaw, backed away. “C’mere,” Root cooed, pulling Shaw into a hug with little resistance. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Shaw stood stiff in Root’s arms before eventually breaking and returning the hug. “You better be.” She grumbled, giving the Hacker an extra hard squeeze. She smirked when she drew a moan from the tall brunette.

Root pulled her head back, meeting Shaw’s eyes. “Anything I can do to make it up to you?”

“Oh yeah,” she whispered with a smile. She raised her eyebrows suggestively.

Root grinned, leaning forward to capture Shaw’s lips.

Shaw stepped out of the embrace, leaving a flustered Root in her wake. Shaw smirked, crossing her arms. She nodded towards the kitchen. “Ribeye steak, medium well. Get to it.”

Root blinked away her desire. “You want me to cook for you?”

Shaw grinned. “And throw in that one French dish you made for me last week, what’s it called?”

“Baked Camembert.”

“Yeah, that. Make that too,” Shaw said with a thoughtful hum.

Root sighed. “That’s going to take at least two hours to make, Shaw,” she said with mild annoyance tinting her voice.

Shaw patted her shoulder with a smirk. “And you’ve got time.”


	9. Root Privilege

Root gets away with things and Reese notices it.

Ever since Samaritan's fall, there had been a shift in Root and Shaw's relationship. They were themselves but a more mature version. Their dynamic was the same but their bond was stronger than ever. It was clear they loved one another though Reese doubted they'd ever voice that to one another, however, their actions spoke volumes. Shaw was different with Root--she was softer.

If Reese ever said this aloud, he'd be killed.

Shaw always boasted she treated each team member the same, but that was nowhere near the truth. She was different with Root in every respect.

"Mister Reese?"

Reese was shaken from his thoughts by Finch's voice. He blinked and turned to look at an expectant Harold. "Sorry, Finch," he said. "What was that?"

"Didn't take you for a day dreamer, Lurch," Root quipped from her spot beside Shaw.

Harold repeated his words. "I believe our number is about to be ambushed by the group of gang members," he said, turning back to his computer. "Only he's not the one who owes them money. He's been framed by his wife."

"No way." Shaw chuckled. "Knitting Nancy is our perp? I thought the only crime that woman could commit was bleeding from the ears with that annoying ass voice."

"Looks can be deceiving, Miss Shaw. As you well know."

Reese hovered behind Finch. "Where's our number?"

"I'm sending you all the address now," Harold said, punching a few keys. Everyone's phone chimed simultaneously.

Reese reached for a nearby gun only to have his hand smacked by Shaw. He turned to Shaw with a frown, shaking out his hand.

"Get your own." Shaw said, pointing a warning finger at Reese.

He lifted a challenging brow. "Sharing is caring, Shaw."

Shaw gave him a look. Reese backed down.

Harold turned to Root. "Miss Groves, I believe the Machine--"

"Wants me to assist our friendly Detective with the number's wife." Root said with a grin. She looked at Reese and Shaw. "I'll meet up with you kids later. Don't have too much fun without me." Root winked at Shaw. She picked up Shaw's discarded gun. "I'm borrowing this," she said.

Shaw nodded. "Be safe."

Root slid the gun into her waistband. "Safe's my middle name, Sweetie."

"No 'Pain-In-My-Ass' is."

Root grinned. "Your words always warm my heart," she said, pressing a small kiss to Shaw's cheek before exiting.

Reese watched Root go before turning to give Shaw a pointed look.

Shaw ignored him and headed for the exit. "I'm driving."

\---

"Took you long enough to get here!" Shaw yelled over the gunfire as Reese slid behind the storage box next to her for cover.

"It's a big warehouse, Shaw." He said, switching out his magazine. "And we're out numbered. Where the Hell is Root? She was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago."

Shaw lifted up, taking a few shots. She managed to nail one kneecap before quickly taking cover. "The better question is, why the hell did it take you so damn long to get across the warehouse to get over here?" she asked with a glare.

He fought the urge to scoff. "I got here less than two minutes after you called."

A bullet zipped by between them, cutting off Shaw's retort. Reese immediately fired back, taking down the assailant. Shaw pointed at Reese. "Two minutes too long. Should've taken you at least thirty seconds. Forty tops."

Reese shook his head minutely. "Tell that to the bad guys trying to kill me."

"Excuses are for wusses."

Reese clenched his jaw. He went to take another shot, but tensed when only a resounding click came. He turned to Shaw. "I'm out of bullets."

"Crap, me too." Shaw released a growl as she frantically searched her pockets.

_"Good thing I brought party favors."_

Reese and Shaw looked at one another. "Root," they said.

_"Both of you take cover on my count. 3...2..."_

John and Shaw hit the deck just as a massive explosion went off on the other side of the warehouse. They covered their heads as debris flew over and around them. The gunfire headed in their direction seized as the gang members screamed and scrambled to exit the building. The room fell silent save for the sizzle of the crackling fire the bomb left behind.

_"Meet me outside, near the rear exit."_

When Reese and Shaw made their way outside they were greeted by a smirking Root, leaning casually against the hood of a Ferrari 458 Spider. "Sorry I'm late."

Reese dusted off his suit. "We could've used your help earlier--"

"It's fine," Shaw said with a shrug. "Talk about making an entrance."

"I always try to impress," Root said with twinkling eyes.

Shaw nodded to the car. "Whose wheels?"

Root shrugged innocently and Shaw hid her smile. Root placed her hands on Shaw's shoulders. "Wanna go for a joy ride? Grab something to eat?"

"I could eat." Shaw nodded.

Root smiled endearingly at her before turning to Reese with a less affectionate expression. "Wanna join us, Big Lug?"

Reese shrugged. "Sure."

Root dug in her pocket for the keys, pushing them towards Shaw. To her, and Reese's surprise, Shaw shook her head pushing the keys back towards Root. Reese felt compelled to pinch himself. Surely he was dreaming. Root shot Shaw a questioning look.

Shaw stuffed her hands in her coat pockets stoically. "You can drive."

Root stared at her with quiet shock for a moment before nodding as a slow grin overtook her face. Shaw slipped into the passenger seat without another word and Root practically skipped to the driver's side. Reese watched them with disbelieving eyes. "How is this happening?" he asked himself.

\---

They ended up at a diner in the Bronx where Shaw swore they served the best burgers in the borough.

Root and Shaw were snuggled up on one side of the booth while Reese sat across from them. Well, "snuggled up" wasn't the most accurate description. More like, Shaw was sitting there as Root pressed herself against Shaw's side. However, Shaw looked completely okay with it despite her halfhearted protests. When their food arrived, Reese found himself looking at Shaw's fries with envy, wishing he had ordered some with his burger as well.

Shaw took a big bite out of her burger, moaning with pleasure. Root munched on her chicken wrap, watching Shaw with doting affection.

Reese chewed thoughtfully on his own burger as he eyed Shaw's fries. He slowly inched his hand forward. Shaw immediately zoned in on the action. Her eyes flew up to meet his with a steely glare. He silently asked permission and her scowl shut it down. He sighed before moving his hand away. Root, completely oblivious to this silent exchange, reached for one of Shaw's fries. She popped it into her mouth and nodded in approval.

Reese shot Shaw an accusatory look. 

Shaw shrugged sheepishly. "She's Root." Was her only response.

 


	10. Texts

Root: Thanks for the back up. Wasn't expecting you to show. :)

Shaw: whatever

Shaw: i did it for you

Shaw: *the mission

Shaw: damn auto-correct

Root: That's one hell of a typo.

Shaw: it was the phone

Root: Sure, Sam.

Shaw: shut up

* * *

 

Root: Just finished up. Heading home now. 

Shaw: K

Root: Want something to eat?

Root: Besides me, I mean. ;)

Shaw: yeah a I miss you.

Shaw: wait

Root: I miss you too. :)

Shaw: no I miss you.

Shaw: I miss you.

Shaw: I miss you.

Shaw: wtf

Root: You're so sweet, Sameen.

Shaw: NO. i was trying to say s@ndwich.

Shaw: did you mess w/ my phone again?

Root: See you soon! Bye!

Shaw: ROOT.

* * *

Root: Why is my soy milk poured out all over my sink?

Shaw: i was making a statement

Root: Enlighten me.

Shaw: soy milk is crap

Shaw: go cow or go home

Root: Very mature.

* * *

 

Shaw: stuck on a stakeout w/ fusco

Root: Rather I was there instead?

Shaw: maybe

Root: :D

Shaw: stop

Root: :D

Shaw: root

Root: :D

Shaw: i will never text u again

* * *

Shaw: u know what i like

Root: What??

Shaw: oops

Shaw: that wasn't meant 4 u

Root: Who the hell was it meant for, Shaw?

Root: What does that even mean? "u know what i like" Who would you say that to?

Root: Are you sexting someone?

Root: Sameen Shaw, answer me.

Shaw: calm down, psycho

Root: Don't tell me to calm down. Who were you texting?

Shaw: jfc i know a cook at a joint and he was asking what i wanted for my order

Shaw: the order that was going to be for OUR night in together

Root: Oh...

Root: I might have overreacted a little.

Shaw: *a lot

* * *

 

Root: You look so cute, over there, cleaning your knives.

Shaw: i'd look even cuter stabbing u w/ one :)

Root: You know just what to say to get a girl going.

Shaw: aren't u supposed to be decoding something with finch?

Root: We're actually in the middle of manipulating the company's internal hard drive so its infrastructure crumbles from the inside out, undetected.

Shaw: nerds

Root: You love it when I talk nerdy to you. ;)

Shaw: it IS kinda hot

Shaw: nice blush

Root: Shut up.

* * *

 

Root: I miss you.

Shaw: how long until this "errand" is over?

Root: Not for another week. She's sending me to Nebraska tomorrow. :(

Shaw: have you gotten any sleep?

Root: When I can.

Root: Worried about me?

Shaw: what about food?

Root: Shaw, I'm fine. She takes care of me.

Shaw: fine

Shaw: finch is calling, gotta go

Root: Okay. I'll call you when I land.

Shaw: K

Shaw: root?

Root: Yes?

Shaw: i miss you too

 


	11. iRoot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No angst, don't worry.

Either Shaw was having a psychotic break or Root was standing, in her apartment, right in front of her.

Not Root, _Root_. 

Root was dead.

So how was she standing right in front of her? Better question, what was this  _thing_  standing in front of her?

Shaw stood as still as a statue, but her eyes were wide and alert.

Root--or Imitation Root, grinned hesitantly at Shaw before taking a tentative step forward.

Shaw took two back, giving her--it, a silent warning not to move any closer. Swallowing around the lump in her throat Shaw whispered, "What the hell are you?"

Root, or whoever, grinned softly. "I'm yours."

Anger flashed in Shaw's eyes, she quickly whipped out her gun. With shaky hands she aimed it at...the impostor. "What the hell are you?" she repeated with narrowed eyes. "And spare me The Notebook-esque dialogue."

The impostor held her hands up in surrender. "Harold made me for you." She explained patiently.

Shaw shook her head. "I haven't heard from Finch in five years," she said, tightening her grip on the weapon. "What do you mean he 'made' you?"

"It's me, Shaw," the impostor said with a small smile. "You've been listening to me for years...with her voice...since she--"

"Shut up." Shaw clenched her jaw. She licked her lips nervously. "You're the Machine."

The Machine nodded, slowing bringing down her hands. "In the flesh, Sweetie." She paused, shrugging sheepishly. "Well, synthetic flesh."

Shaw released a breath of disbelief. She put her gun away, looking at Roo--the Machine with a mixture of awe and incredulity. She cautiously took a few steps forward, coming to a stop in front of the android. The Machine watched her with those same doting eyes. Shaw could feel every ounce of endearment rolling off of the Machine. Almost like...the real thing. 

Shaw slowly reached a hand out and cupped the Machine's cheek. She gasped. It felt so real...despite herself, she felt a small grin tugging at her lips.

The Machine closed her eyes, leaning into the touch.

Blinking, Shaw jerked her hand back. She took a deep, calming breath. "This isn't happening," Shaw whispered. She shook her head, taking a few steps back.

The Machine took a step forward. "My accuracy for Root is 99.6%. We're virtually interchangeable."

"Stop," Shaw said, holding a hand up. She pointed to the couch beside them. "See this couch? You don't go past this couch. If you do, you'll be pulling bullets out of your micro chipped ass."

The Machine pouted. "No need to be rude."

Shaw's jaw went slack. "Okay, now that's just freaky." She said, pointing at the android.

"I've been called worse, Sweetie."

"Okay, that. Stop that, just..." Shaw released a frustrated sigh as she tried to wrap her head around the situation. "Why did...why did Harold..."

The Machine tilted her head. "Make me?"

Shaw nodded.

The Machine shifted her weight. Shaw's eyes followed the movement. Root used to do the same thing when she was nervous. "He made me as an apology of sorts," The Machine said.

"So you're a consolation prize?" Shaw raised an eyebrow. "That's it?"

"We didn't want you to be lonely," The Machine said. She took a step forward, mindful of the couch. "And I wanted to..." She trailed off as her eyes cast downward.

"Wanted to what?" Shaw questioned with a frown.

"Sameen...these past five years..." The Machine met Shaw's eyes. "We've grown closer."

Shaw looked away. She couldn't deny that. Her relationship with the Machine had taken a somewhat..."intimate" turn. Being the new Analog Interface opened up a different type of bond between the two of them. Their conversations weren't always professional. Sometimes the Machine would call her in the middle of the night, just like Root, to check in on her. Or food from her favorite restaurant would "mysteriously" arrive at her doorstep. The banter was there, the flirting (on the Machine's side), the worry...it was all there.

But the Machine wasn't Root. 

"I know I'm not Root."

Shaw's eyes shot up to meet the Machine's. Had she said that out loud?

"But..." The Machine moved around the couch and towards Shaw.

Shaw pointed at her, backing away. "Hey!"

"I love you, Shaw." The Machine breathed out with pleading eyes. "I...I know I'm not human, but...my feelings--"

"Robots don't have feelings," Shaw said with a scowl.

The Machine froze. Her eyes flashed with hurt.

Shaw shook her head...no. Machines can't get hurt. Must've been a glitch.

"You once thought you didn't have feelings, but all of that changed when you met Root. You learned." The Machine countered defensively. "How are my feelings any different?"

"Because you're not human!" Shaw shot back, waving a hand at the android. "It doesn't work like that."

The Machine bit her bottom lip and turned her head away.

Shaw stared at her with wide eyes. "You cry too?"

The Machine wiped at her face as tears trickled down her cheeks. "I can perform almost all human actions as they pertain to certain emotions." She met Shaw's eyes. "Yes, I can cry. Among other things."

"Well..." Shaw cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Stop that."

The Machine sniffled. "Stop what?"

"Crying. Stop crying, it makes me feel weird, here," Shaw handed the android a tissue. "You might fry a circuit or something..."

The Machine wiped at her nose. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Shaw took a seat on the couch, suddenly feeling drained. "Why?"

"That I'm not her," The Machine said. She slowly sat down beside Shaw. 

Shaw took a sharp intake of breath when their knees bumped together. God, this felt too real. "Yeah...well..." she muttered, not sure what to say to that.

"I do love you," The Machine continued. She turned to look at Shaw. "And not the way that I love Harold...I'm in love with you."

Shaw closed her eyes. "You've gotta stop saying that."

"Sorry, Sam." The Machine said, looking down at her hands. 

Shaw sighed, running a hand through her hair. She wracked her brain for something to say or do. Coming up with nothing, she decided to fall back on a constant. “Do uh…machines eat?” she asked.

The Machine nodded. “Yes, but I’ve never…tried.” She said with a small frown. “Is it enjoyable?” she asked curiously. “You’ve always seemed… _taken_ by the activity.”

Shaw smirked lightly. “You callin’ me a pig?”

“Furthest thing from it, with a body like that,” The Machine cooed with a grin.

Shaw found herself smiling back before she quickly dropped it and stood from the couch. “Yeah, I don’t think I’m ready for face to face flirting,” she muttered to herself as she made her way to the fridge. “How does ice cream sound?” Shaw asked over her shoulder as she pulled out two small tubs. “Root always liked—”

“Rocky Road,” The Machine finished as Shaw gave her the cold treat. “I know. It was one of her favorite midnight snacks.”

Shaw nodded, taking a seat back on the couch. She handed the Machine a spoon before digging into her vanilla and fudge mix. After a couple of bites she had noticed the Machine hadn’t touched her ice cream. “What’s wrong?” Shaw asked.

The Machine looked from the spoon to Shaw. “I was just calculating my options and thinking about the possible outcomes.”

Shaw blinked. “It’s ice cream. Don’t overthink it.”

“But if I eat it too fast, I can get nerve pain of the sphenopalatine ganglion.”

“We call those brain freezes.”

The Machine's brow furrowed. “Should I chew or lick?”

Shaw groaned, setting her cup down before snatching the spoon and dessert out of the Machine’s hands. The Machine looked at her with startled eyes. Shaw scooped up the chocolate and held it out on a spoon. The Machine gave her a confused look. Shaw rolled her eyes, inching the spoon towards the Machine’s mouth. “Open.”

The Machine opened her mouth. “Mmf!” she cried when Shaw shoved the spoon into her mouth before jerking it away. “Sameen that wasn’t very nice—oh.” Her face morphed into delight. She smiled at Shaw. “That was delicious!”

Shaw grinned, setting down the ice cream. “I know.”

“I can see why nearly thirty-seven point eight percent of the American population prefer this flavor over others,” The Machine said with a nod before frowning. “Maybe a little too much given the current weight issues…”

Shaw’s eyes caught something. “You’ve got a little,” Shaw pointed at the Machine’s lips where a smudge of chocolate sat.

“Hm?” The Machine wiped at her face, in the wrong spot.

“Here,” Shaw whispered, bring a thumb up to brush at the spot. She stilled when her finger touched the Machine’s skin. How did this feel so real?

“I match a human’s outward appearance by eighty-five percent,” The machine said, almost reading Shaw’s mind. “Hair, skin, touch…it’s almost exact.”

Shaw gulped. Unable to stop herself, she lightly brushed her thumb along the Machine’s bottom lip. “So soft,” she said quietly. She watched as the Machine’s eyes fluttered at the touch. “You can feel that?”

“S-Sensory…” The Machine paused, gathering herself. “Um. I have certain spots that are more sensitive than others. Detective sensory enablers.”

Curiosity was getting the best of her. Shaw couldn’t help it. Root had been gone for five years…what she wouldn’t give to be able to kiss her again. Touch her. It was like an odd dream come true. It wasn’t real, but God did it feel real.

“Shaw?”

“What?”

The Machine’s eyes dropped to Shaw’s lips. “I want to kiss you.”

Shaw swallowed. She took in a shuttering breath. “Then do it.”

Without hesitation, the Machine lunged forward—

“No!” Shaw yelled as jerked awake, her breathing labored. She blinked slowly taking in her surroundings. She was in her bedroom…their bedroom. A body shifted next to her in the bed.

“Shaw?”

Shaw turned to look at her bed companion.

Root squinted at her through the dark. “Are you okay?”

Shaw nodded with faux nonchalance. “Yeah. Go back to sleep.”

Root sighed as she sat up. She rested a sleepy head against Shaw’s shoulder. “Was it the robot dream again?”

Shaw shook her head. “It felt so real…”

Root gently ushered Shaw to lie down once again. “Get some sleep, Sweetie.”

Shaw complied, shifting to get more comfortable as Root slung her arm over Shaw’s torso and snuggled into her side. The room fell silent for a beat. “We almost kissed this time.”

Root yawned. “Is that supposed to make me jealous?”

Shaw chuckled quietly. “Does it?”

“…a little.”


	12. No Winning Here

Root was a patient person.

No really, she was.

Root was a patient person. But this? This was just torture and not the enjoyable kind.

She had no one but herself to blame. It was her suggestion after all. "You never know when it'll come in handy." She said. "Learning code can be fun." She said.

Root had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

"So I put the bracket here?"

Root held back a groan. "Yes." She said tightly.

Shaw nodded before pecking at the key.

Root clenched her jaw. "That's the wrong line."

Shaw frowned. "You just told me to put it there."

"No. I said to put it here." Root said, pointing at the appropriate place.

"There's already one there."

"That's the open bracket, now you need to put the closing bracket."

"Why, when there's an open bracket?"

"They do different things."

"What's the difference?"

"One opens it, the other closes it."

"Don't you want it open?"

"Just put the damn bracket, Shaw!" Root practically growled out as she slammed her palm against their desk. 

Shaw's face remained stoic but her eyes sparked with amusement.

Root narrowed her eyes. "You're doing this on purpose."

Shaw grinned.

Root blew out a sigh. "Not funny, Sameen."

"I can't believe you fell for that for an hour straight. You really think I don't know basic coding?"

"What can I say?" Root said with a flirtatious smile to cover her annoyance as she perched herself on the edge of the desk. "You're a great actress."

Shaw smirked up at Root. She slowly came to stand, pressing their bodies together. "You know, it's fun seeing you get all frustrated. Kinda hot too."

"Really?" Root asked with a raised brow.

Shaw nodded. Trapping Root inside her arms by placing a hand on either side of her on the desk. She leaned forward brushing the tips of their noses together.

Root captured Shaw's bottom lip and tugged on it, inciting a moan from Shaw. "You like that?" she asked, releasing the lip.

Shaw groaned in response.

Root turned her head, bringing her lips over to Shaw's ear. "Answer me," she whispered.

Shaw's eyes slid shut when she felt a finger glide teasingly along the waistband of her sweatpants. "Yes," she breathed out.

Root smirked, sliding her hand down into the front of Shaw's pants. She brushed her fingers across the front of Shaw's underwear. "How much?"

"Ugh." Was all Shaw could respond with as her knees began to buckle.

Root squinted her eyes. "I don't think that's a word, Sweetie. Can you repeat that?" she asked innocently, applying more pressure.

"A lot, I like it a lot." Shaw rushed out as she canted her hips.

"Good." Root said pulling her hand out abruptly. She breezed past Shaw and out of the room without another word.

Shaw's jaw dropped in a silent scream. She blinked rapidly as her body hummed with unfulfilled desire. Suddenly angry, she turned on her heel watching Root leave with an extra sway in her hips. "Root." she said in a low, dark tone.

Root glanced at her over her shoulder. "Not so fun now, is it?" She winked.

Shaw huffed. Lesson learned; don't mess with Root.

She'll outsmart you every time.

 


	13. Not-So-Sore Loser

“Hmm.”

Reese shifted his eyes over to Root. “Can I help you?”

Root titled her head, studying his face with an almost scientific-like interest. “Is it stuck?”

Reese blinked. “Is what stuck?”

“Your face.” Root tapped her pointer finger against her lip thoughtfully. “Is it just stuck in a permanent brooding expression?”

Reese slid his eyes and interest elsewhere.

Root didn’t relent. “I’m just saying I hardly see any other emotion displayed on your face.” She shrugged, bunching up her lips. “Not even when I tell a joke.”

Reese turned back to her with bored eyes. “Maybe you’re just not funny.”

Root grinned sardonically. She opened her mouth to respond but stopped when Shaw sauntered into the safe house’s living room carrying, what looked like, a board game.

“Enough talk.” Shaw placed the game down onto the coffee table. “It’s ass kicking time. Who’s in?”

Root eyed the game. “You play Scrabble?” she asked with amusement.

“No.” Shaw smirked. “I dominate.”

Reese immediately headed for the exit. “I’m leaving.”

Root frowned at John’s back as he shut the front door. She turned back to Shaw with a questioning stare. Shaw waved it off with a scoff. “He’s still bitter about the last time we played.”

Root narrowed her eyes before nodding slowly. “Sore loser?” she asked as she slid out of her leather jacket.

“He’s a wimp.” Shaw got comfortable on the carpet and went to work setting up the game. She looked up at Root with imploring eyes. “You in?”

Root shrugged. “Why not?” she sighed, taking a seat. “We’ll make a date out of it.”

Shaw gave her a look, but said nothing as she continued setting up the pieces.

Root leaned forward, resting her chin on her closed fist. “How about we make this interesting?” she asked with a cheshire grin.

Shaw’s eyebrow pitched. “I’m listening.”

“Every time someone scores a double or triple score, the opponent has to take off a piece of clothing,” Root said as her eyes gleamed with a mixture of mischief and desire. “Two if she challenges a word and loses.”

“Strip Scrabble?” Shaw chuckled. “Is that even a thing?”

Root smirked. “Care to find out? I promise not to use The Machine to cheat.”

Shaw reached for the Scrabble bag of letters. She shot Root a smirk of her own. “Oh, it’s on.”

* * *

“This is bullshit.”

Root smiled. “I’m waiting, Sameen.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

Shaw scowled. She was down to her underwear and Root sat pretty with her pants and bra on, clearly winning this game. Glaring at Root, Shaw reached down to remove another article of clothing. Root licked her lips as she leaned forward to get a peek.

Shaw smirked, lifting up...a sock. Root pouted. Shaw chucked the sock onto her pile of discarded clothes. With a sigh she reached for the bag of tiles only to find it empty. “Great.” She deadpanned.

Root clapped her hands together. “I won!” she said with a smile. “And I was rewarded with the best view a gal could ask for.”

Shaw tossed the bag down, muttering a string of curse words under her breath.

Root playfully gave her a chastising look. “Don’t be a sore loser, Sam.”

“I’m not,” Shaw shot back a little too quickly.

Root grinned. She reached across the table, sliding a finger along Shaw’s arm. “You know there was one last game rule I forgot to mention…” she whispered, leaning forward.

Shaw looked up at Root, ignoring the chill that shot down her spine. “What?” she asked as her eyes briefly glanced down to take in the display of cleavage.

Root’s eyes darkened with want. “Loser gets to have their way with the winner.” She looked pointedly at the coffee table then back at Shaw. “ _Wherever_ they want.”

Shaw schooled her expression. “I feel like you just made that rule up.”

Root raked her nails down Shaw’s arm. “I’ve always been told I’m very innovative.”

Shaw looked down at the coffee table. It wouldn’t last one round. “Finch will be pissed.”

Root gave her an incredulous look. “Do you actually care?”

“Not really.” Shaw shoved the Scrabble game aside. Tiles of letters went flying across the room. Root met her halfway as their lips connected in a heated kiss. Shaw broke away, pushing Root roughly down onto the coffee table before crawling on top of her.

Pain radiated across Root’s lower back and she moaned in pleasure.

Shaw placed kisses on Root’s neck and chest. Gasps fell from Root’s mouth and her hips shot up on their own accord. Shaw pulled back, smirking at Root. “I could get used to losing.”

They had a game night twice a week, every month,  for the rest of the year.


	14. Some TLC

Shaw was nursing a beer, watching the game, when she felt the couch dip beside her. Root usually didn’t care for football, claiming it was, “A waste of time and I should know, I was once assigned to be a cheerleader.” That particular argument didn’t end all that bad; Root ended up showing Shaw the cheerleader outfit which then led to them both cheering, and not for football.

Shaw smirked at the memory as she took a sip from her beer.  She tensed, suddenly, when she felt Root rest her head on her shoulder. Forcing herself to relax, she briefly glanced at Root, who was clad in her weekend pajamas, before turning her attention back to the game.

Root shifted, releasing a small whine. Shaw ignored it. After some more restless shifting, Root took hold of Shaw’s arm and wrapped it around herself before releasing a sigh. She nuzzled her head against Shaw’s shoulder, attempting to move closer. Another small whine fell from her lips.

Shaw turned from the TV and looked at Root with a frown. “Root?” she said slowly.

Root hummed in response, closing her eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“Well, Shaw,” Root began with mild irritation. “There’s this thing that normal couples do sometimes, it’s called ‘cuddling.’ You might have heard of it.”

Shaw rolled her eyes. “Since when have we been like a normal couple?”

Root grunted. Literally grunted. “Humor me.”

“Okay,” Shaw slid her arm from around Root who whined in protest. Shaw gently pulled Root away from her body, looking her in the eye with concern. “What’s going on with you?”

Root brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “It’s that lovely time of the month again,” she said, attempting to smile but it came out like a pained grimace. “Cramps are killing me.”

“Did you take anything?”

Root gave her a look. “No. I like being in pain, Shaw.” She tucked her head into her arms. “Of course I’ve taken a couple of pain relievers, but nothing is working.”

Shaw shrugged. “Give them an hour. It has to get into your system first.”

Root sighed. “Usually I’d love the doctor talk, Sweetie, but right now it’s just irritating.” She shifted closer to Shaw and attempted to cuddle with her once again. “I just want someone to hold me…”

Shaw pulled away, moving to stand. “Wait a sec,” she said before heading into the kitchen. Root groaned and curled up on her side, leaning back onto the couch. She clenched her eyes shut as a wave a pain coursed through her body.

She knew Shaw wasn’t big on cuddling. Neither was she, truth be told, but she was hoping Shaw would make an exception this night.  Root turned her head into the couch’s cushion, clutching at her stomach. It was almost funny. She could kill numerous men in the blink of an eye. She could get shot, stabbed, drugged and walk it off the next morning, but the one thing that knocks her down, every time, was Mother Nature.

A few minutes had passed by when she heard Shaw shuffle back to the couch. Something sweet smelling was suddenly shoved in her face along with a quiet, “Take it.”

Root smirked lightly. “That's a phrase I love to hear from you.”

Shaw sighed. “Only you could pull an innuendo outta this.” She said with an amused shake of the head. “Just take the drink, Root.”

Root grinned, grabbing the cup as she sat up. She held it in both hands and looked at it curiously. She gave Shaw a questioning look. “What is it?” she asked, taking a cautious sniff of the drink.

“It’s a special herbal tea,” Shaw said before moving around the couch. She went to their hallway closet and pulled out a throw blanket. “My maman bozorg used to make it for me. Works like a charm.”

Root looked over her shoulder. “Were you close with your grandmother?”

Shaw went quiet as she moved back towards the couch. Standing over Root, she pointed wordlessly at the tea. Root got the hint and took a healthy sip. She grimaced, fighting to swallow down the concoction.

Shaw smirked. “Did I forget to mention it tastes like crap?”

Root narrowed her eyes. “A warning would’ve been great.” She said quietly as she took another dreadful sip.

Shaw chuckled, taking a seat on the couch. “At least I added some mint leaves to mask the scent,” she said with a small grin. After a moment she cleared her throat awkwardly, gaining Root’s attention. Shaw made a show of scooting towards the corner of the couch and stretching her legs out. Looking elsewhere, Shaw silently opened up her arms in invitation.

Root stared at her with a raised brow. “Sameen?”

Shaw glared at her. “You already know this is weird for me, don’t make it worse.” She jerked her head, motioning for Root to come closer. “C’mon, Eeyore.”

Root bit back a smile as she set her drink down and quickly crawled into Shaw’s arms. She released a content sigh as she placed herself atop of Shaw and rested her head on a tan shoulder. Shaw placed her cheek against soft, brown hair as she grabbed the throw blanket and placed it around their bodies. Shaw enveloped Root into her arms.

“Better?” Shaw asked, running her hand along Root’s back.

Root grinned. She shut her eyes contently. “Much.”

“Good. Now shut up so I can watch the game.” Shaw said not unkindly.

“Thank you,” Root whispered, cuddling closer.

A small kiss to her forehead was her only response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'll cap this out at 20. Again, thanks for the lovely comments. :)


	15. Impromptu Snuggle

It had been a long day. The Machine had sent Root out on a solo mission that ended up lasting fifteen hours. Her number was a runner and boy, did he love to run. He eventually gave up after Root got tired of chasing him and tossed a hunting knife at his shoulder--against the Machine’s orders, but a job done is a job done.

Now all Root wanted to do was get some rest. She sluggishly made her way into their apartment and somehow managed to take a quick shower before changing into her pajamas without passing out on the spot. Root dragged her feet to their bed where Shaw was sleeping soundly. Energy completely drained, Root fell into bed...and right on top of Shaw’s back.

Shaw grunted as weight landed on her back. Her body tensed for a moment before she realized who it was. Shaw shifted a bit, keeping her eyes closed. “Root?” she whispered, getting no reply. “Root.”

Root moaned tiredly in response.

“You’re on top of me.”

“Mmm, not tonight, Baby. Too tired. I can top you tomorrow.”

If Shaw’s eyes were open, she’d roll them. She reached back, blindly, patting Root’s butt. “Move.”

Root buried her face in the crook of Shaw’s neck. “Mmm no.”

Shaw sighed. “You’d be more comfortable on your side of the bed.”

“Can’t move.” Root said. Her words slightly muffled. “Long day.”

Shaw blinked her eyes open and her face morphed to concern. “I told you to stop taking those solo missions, Root. They’re draining you. Not to mention they’re dangerous.”

Root rubbed her cheek against Shaw’s shoulder. “Lecture me later.”

Shaw fell silent for a moment, taking in the sounds of Root’s quiet breathing and the noises from the streets below. She tried to get comfortable but something still nagged at her. “What if you get hurt, Root?” she asked quietly.

“Then...mm, you’d patch me up,” Root whispered as she lazily slid a leg between Shaw’s shorter ones.

“No, I mean a serious injury,” Shaw continued. “And I’m not there. You’d be alone. You could…” she stopped as her throat caught at the thought alone. She could feel her body began to heat up with anger and something else she wasn’t quite sure how to describe.

Root slowly opened her eyes as she felt her human pillow go rigid. She tilted her head, placing her lips against Shaw’s left ear. “Hey…” she whispered. Root placed her hand over the one Shaw was using to clutch the pillow. “You’re gonna rip apart one of my favorite pillows.”

Shaw released it. She hadn’t even realized she was gripping it that hard. She allowed for Root to intertwine their fingers. “Sorry,” she said with a sigh.

“It’s okay,” Root said, squeezing Shaw’s hand gently. “You don’t need to worry about me, Shaw. She’s watching over me.”

“Watching is different from physically protecting you, Root.” Shaw snapped.

Root went quiet, silently taken aback by the emotion in Shaw’s voice. In an effort to lighten the tense moment, Root attempted some humor. “C’mon, Shaw. We all know it’s only ‘the mission’ you’re worried about.”

“It’s never been just the mission.”

Root bit her bottom lip. “Sameen…”

“I can’t lose you,” Shaw whispered so quietly Root almost missed it.

Warmth spread within Root’s chest, briefly robbing her of thoughts and a voice. She pressed herself closer to Shaw, needing to be closer to her in that moment. She didn’t know if was to reassure Shaw that she was here and she was fine or if it was just to comfort them both.

“I’ll talk to Her tomorrow,” Root finally said.

“No more solo missions.”

Root nodded, wrapping her arm underneath Shaw. “No more solo missions.” She splayed her hand across Shaw’s abs. “I promise.”

Shaw’s phone chimed beside them. They both took that as the Machine’s way of agreeing as well.

"And tell Her I'll kick her omniscient ass if she doesn't listen."

A breathy laugh slipped from Root's lips. "I think she gets the picture." She placed a small kiss to the base of Shaw's neck.

"I mean it. You think I can't take on a God? 'Cause I can."

"Oh, I don't doubt it." Root said with a small giggle.

Shaw smiled at the sound. She playfully flexed her back muscles, causing Root's head to bob up and down.

Root swatted Shaw's shoulder. "Stop that." She clawed playfully at Shaw's stomach in retaliation.

"I like when you do that." Shaw said with a lazy grin.

"I know you do," Root rested her head back down, flattening her hand once again. "There's more where that came from, later."

“Are you really gonna stay there for the rest of the night?”

Root grinned as her eyes slid shut. “Too heavy for you, Sam?”

Shaw chuckled. “Please, it’s like having a twig with arms and legs on my back.”

“Am I sexy twig?”

“Root?”

“Hm?”

“Go to sleep.”


	16. Working Out the Workout

Every morning at 6 AM Shaw went for a four mile jog, like clockwork. Come rain, snow, or sleet, Shaw was gonna jog--much to Root’s chagrin. She wasn’t much of a morning person and she wouldn’t label herself needy, but having your morning cuddles interrupted by a jog bruised her ego a bit.

No matter how hard she tried to entice Shaw to stay (seduction being her number one weapon), nothing ever worked. Shaw loved her jogs and there was literally no stopping her. So, Root decided to go with another tactic…

They both cringed as the alarm went off at 6 on the dot. Shaw pulled away from Root and tossed her legs over the side of the bed. She rubbed at her eyes tiredly. Root sat up, hair tousled, and rested her cheek against Shaw’s shoulder.

A lazy grin tugged at Shaw’s lips. She reached back, tapping Root’s naked thigh. “Go back to sleep.” She said, giving the thigh a small squeeze before moving off of the bed.

Root stretched her arms over her head. “No,” she said over a yawn.

Shaw gave her a look as she pulled on her jogging pants. “No? What do you mean ‘no’?” she asked, slipping on a tank top. “You’re usually passed out by now.”

“Well,” Root dragged out with a sleepy grin. “I’m going with you.”

Shaw froze, staring at Root with a blank face. Thirty seconds passed by and Root was, honestly, concerned that she’d broken her girlfriend for a second before Shaw released a deep belly laugh.

The grin fell from Root’s face, shifting into a defiant frown. “What’s so funny?”

Shaw shook her head with a smile. “I’ll see you when I get back,” she said, pressing a quick kiss to Root’s lips. She playfully shoved Root back onto the bed. “Get some sleep.”

Root huffed, scrambling to move onto her knees. “I mean it, Sameen.” She crossed her arms.

Shaw pulled on a light jacket, still grinning. “Sure, Root.” She looked around for a second. “Have you seen my beanie? The black one you got me last week...” Shaw sifted through her drawers.

With a sigh, Root reached into the nightstand and grabbed said beanie. She silently held it out to Shaw with a knowing look. Shaw nodded in thanks and reached out for the beanie. Root held tight to it with a raised brow.

Shaw looked her in the eyes, all traces of humor gone. “Wait, you’re being serious?” she asked.

Root shrugged, tugging at the beanie they both held until Shaw was nose to nose with her. “How hard could it be?” she asked, tilting her head.

Shaw's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. “Root. It’s four miles. When’s the last time you even worked out?”

Root’s eyes rolled upward in thought. Shaw held back a chuckle. If it was taking her this long to remember, the answer was “too long ago,” period.

Root released an “OH” in triumph. “I was someone’s personal trainer just last week,” she said with a proud nod.

Shaw rolled her eyes. “Yeah, playing pretend isn’t the same thing.”

Root smirked, resting her arms on Shaw’s shoulders. “You didn’t mind _pretending_ to be my naughty college student last night.” She nipped at Shaw’s upper lip.

Shaw moaned, wrapping her arms around Root’s waist and deepening the kiss. The beanie slipped from her hand and down onto the bed. Root gasped as Shaw slid a hand under her over-sized top and onto bare skin.

Shaw suddenly froze and pulled away.

She pointed an accusatory finger at a smirking Root. “You’re trying to distract me.” She said with narrowed eyes. “Not cool.”

Root traced a finger along Shaw’s collar bone. “Let me go with you.”

“Root, you won’t be able to keep up.”

“Between the missions and retraining the new Machine…” Root paused and released a dramatic, sad sigh. “We never spend enough time together, Sam.”

Shaw gave Root an incredulous look. Guilt? Was Root seriously trying to pull the guilt card on her?

Root kept her eyes down, following the movement of her own finger as it slid along Shaw’s muscular neck and shoulders. “You’re always off with Fusco while I’m cooped up in the subway with Bear and Her,” she said with a forlorn pout.

Shaw rolled her eyes, mostly at herself. It was working. The guilt trip was working and it pissed her off to no end that this stupid trick was working.

Root looked up at Shaw with her big, hazel, puppy-like eyes. “Is it so wrong that a gal wants to spend some alone time with her other half?” she whispered, bumping their foreheads together.

Shaw clenched her jaw. She released a frustrated sigh. “Damn it, Root. Fine.”

Root smiled, pulling Shaw into a hug. “We’re gonna have so much fun together.”

Shaw shook her head against Root's shoulder. “Yeah, yeah. Fun isn’t exactly how I’d describe it,” she pulled away from the hug, chastising herself for being such a sap. “Over seven thousand simulations and I never broke, but one pout from you and I shatter like glass.”

Root gave her an un-amused look.

Shaw grinned sheepishly. “Too soon?”

Root nodded silently.

Shaw picked up the discarded beanie. She released a sigh before tugging it over Root’s head. She grinned when it fell over Root’s eyes. “You’re gonna regret this.”

Root adjusted the beanie and smiled. “Don’t think so, Sweetie.”

“This is your last chance to back out.”

“Shaw.” Root gave her a patronizing look. “I think I can handle a little jog.”

* * *

“Who the hell thought this was a good idea!?”

Shaw slowed her jog down to walk as she moved over to Root who was hunched over, breathing heavily as she scowled at the ground. “C’mon, Root.” Shaw smirked. “It’s just a little jog.”

Root gave her the finger.

Shaw chuckled. “I told you this would be too much for you.” She placed her hands on her hips as she watched Root try to catch her breath.

“You lied!” Root accused, straightening up. “You said we’d only do four miles, it’s been like, six.”

“It’s been one.”

“How do you do this every morning?” Root asked with a heaving chest.

“Training.” Shaw shrugged. “I’ve always had to be at the top of my game.”

Root leaned against a nearby wall, closing her eyes as her breathing returned to normal. “We’ll find another way to spend quality time together.” She said, holding her hand out for the water.

Shaw handed her the bottle with a grin. She moved over to Root’s side, their shoulders gently brushed together. Shaw eyed Root with amusement as she finished off the bottle they were both meant to be sharing.

She took the empty bottle from Root, tossing it away in a nearby trash can. After a quiet beat, Shaw cleared her throat awkwardly. “I’m uh. I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Root gave her a questioning look.

Shaw waved a hand at her in a vague movement. “For you know...not spending enough time together and stuff.”

Root shook her head. “Shaw, don’t apologize. I was just messing with you.”

“But there was an ounce of truth to it.”

Root bit her bottom lip, looking away.

Shaw nodded with a sigh. She knew it. “You know I’m no good at this, but...I don’t want to screw this up. So when you feel like something isn’t right or you want to spend more time together...just tell me. No more stupid stunts. Okay?”

Root grinned endearingly at Shaw. “Okay.”

“Seriously, this is for your own safety ‘cause I’m pretty sure you almost popped a lung.”

Root lightly socked Shaw’s shoulder. “Hardy har.”

Shaw took hold of Root’s hand, giving it a small squeeze. “C’mon, let’s finish up.” She tugged her forward, moving them away from the wall.

Root’s eyes went wide with fright. “F-Finish up?”

“Yeah,” Shaw smirked. “We’ll walk the rest of the way. You can...tell me how your day went yesterday.”

Root grinned with amusement, glancing at their intertwined hands with glee before falling into step beside Shaw. “Sameen,” she said, stretching out her name. “Are we holding hands?”

Shaw immediately went to drop Root’s hand, but Root held her in place. Shaw rolled her eyes as a small grin stretched across her face. “Why do you like making things awkward?”

“It’s for my own selfish amusement.”

“You’re lucky I love you.”

Root almost tripped and fell.


	17. Movie Night, Yeah Right

Sameen Shaw wouldn’t shut up.

Root glared at her girlfriend’s profile illuminated by the television screen’s glow. At first, the running commentary for the random action movie they were watching was cute, but now? It was just flat out annoying and Root wanted it to stop.

Shaw snorted, pointing at the television. “How did he not see the creep behind him?”

Root took a calming breath, turning back to the film. “Good thing it’s just a movie.”

“Yeah, but we’re supposed to buy this is real.” Shaw said, shaking her head. “It’s a joke.”

“Well, you’re the only one laughing.” Root said under her breath.

Shaw glanced at her. “What?”

Root slapped on a faux smile. “I said do you want more popcorn?” She grabbed the empty bowl and marched to the kitchen before Shaw could reply. Root tossed the bowl down onto the counter with a quiet groan.

She opened up a new bag of popcorn and chucked it into the microwave before pressing the buttons with more force than necessary. All she wanted was a quiet night in with Shaw. It was rare that they were allowed time off so she wanted to make the most of it. Root sighed. She knew she should’ve went for the romantic comedy, but no.

They couldn’t watch two minutes without Shaw’s slanderous comments. This was not the date night she had in mind--well, _Root_ considered it a date night. She didn’t tell Shaw it was a date night. She didn't want to come off too forward or cheesy. Even though they had been officially "dating" for a few weeks now. Baby steps.

She heaved another sigh when the microwave dinged. Filling the bowl back up, Root braced herself and headed back into the trenches. She placed the bowl between them with a grin. Shaw nodded in thanks before grabbing a handful.

Root frowned at the screen before turning to Shaw. “You didn’t press pause?”

Shaw shrugged as she chewed on the buttery snack. “Mmm mffmfm mffch.”

Root clenched her jaw. “What?” she asked tightly.

Shaw swallowed. “I said, you didn’t miss much.”

“Still would’ve been nice,” Root said, turning back to the movie. She didn’t even care that she missed some of the movie, she was just irritated.

After a quietly tense minute, Root blindly reached for some popcorn only to find her hand scraping at air. She stared at the empty bowl in disbelief before looking up at Shaw with wide eyes. “Shaw.”

“Hmm?” Shaw kept her eyes on the film.

“Shaw.”

“He’s gonna get blown up,” Shaw said with a smirk.

Root tossed the bowl onto Shaw’s lap. Shaw jumped slightly as a few kernels went flying into the air. She gave Root a look. “What the hell, Root?” Shaw picked up the bowl and placed it on the coffee table.

“You ate all of the popcorn.” Root said, pointing at the empty bowl.

Shaw shrugged. “I thought it was for me.”

Root’s jaw went slack. She chuckled humorlessly. “You thought that big bowl of popcorn that I deliberately placed between _us_ , was just for you?”

“Yeah.”

Root narrowed her eyes at her girlfriend. Shaw stared back at her completely at a loss. She thrust a thumb back towards the kitchen. “Uh. Do you want me to make you some?” Shaw asked with a small confused frown.

Any other day, Root would’ve found the expression adorable. Not tonight.

“That was the last bag,” Root said with a sigh.

Shaw dropped her hand. “Oh.”

“Forget it, it’s fine. Let’s just watch the rest of the movie.” Root turned back to the screen and huffed out an un-amused laugh as her eyes took in the frozen image. “Of course you paused it for yourself.”

Shaw hit play, leaning back into the couch. “Duh. I didn’t wanna miss anything,” she said with a shrug.

There was literally steam coming out of Root’s ears.

Sensing Root’s discomfort, Shaw tentatively placed her hand on Root’s thigh. She gave it an awkward yet comforting pat before moving it back to her own lap. She felt Root relax slightly at the gesture.

Turning back to the screen, Shaw snorted. “Oh c’mon. You call that a roundhouse?”

Root snatched the remote from Shaw’s hand and turned off the TV with a frustrated growl. “That’s it!” she said, throwing the remote onto the couch. “I can’t take this anymore. I just can’t. I tried, but I can’t.” Root clenched and un-clenched her fists.

Shaw was absolutely lost. “Can’t take what?” she asked confused as she stared up at her girlfriend.

“Your endless commentary, Shaw!” Root threw her hands up in the air. “I just wanted a quiet movie night with you, but you won’t shut up and that’s something I never thought I’d say.”

Shaw blinked, her face neutral. “I thought you liked my comments.”

“I lied,” Root said with a somewhat sheepish expression. “Just like I lied about the popcorn, I’m bitter about that too. I wanted some of that popcorn, Shaw.”

Shaw scoffed lightly as she stood from her seat. “Why didn’t you say anything? You expect me to read your mind? I’m not some omniscient God.”

Shaw’s phone chimed in offense. She turned to it with a scowl. “Suck it.”

Root crossed her arms with a sigh. “I thought my distress would be pretty obvious.”

“I didn’t even want to watch the stupid movie,” Shaw said with a raised brow. “I thought we’d do something more fun on our date night, but I went along with it for you.”

“Wait,” Root’s arms dropped as a shy smile spread across her face. “You...you consider this a date night too?” she asked quietly.

Shaw shrugged. “Well, yeah. What else would you call it?”

Root grinned adoringly, tilting her head.

Shaw pursed her lips for a moment in thought. She nodded to herself before turning to grab hers and Root’s leather jackets. She chucked the jacket at Root, who caught it effortlessly. “Put that on,” Shaw said, slipping into her own jacket. “We’re going out.”

Root followed suit. “Where?”

Shaw smirked, snatching up her car keys. “You’ll see. Oh and Root?”

“Yeah?”

“Grab the balaclavas.”

* * *

Root ducked as a heavy arm swung over her head. She quickly kneed the burly man in the stomach before slamming her joined fists onto his crouched back. He fell to the floor with a resounding thud. Root released an exhilarated breath, turning to look at Shaw. “Did I do that right, Sweetie?” she asked with smiling eyes.

Shaw nodded, taking the last sip of her beer. “You’ve gotten better,” she said before flipping her empty bottle and smashing it against the guy’s head when she saw him attempt to stand.

Shaw reached down and grabbed a discarded purse. She turned to a shaken, young woman standing at the entrance of the alleyway. “This yours?” Shaw said, holding out the purse.

The young woman grabbed her bag with shaking hands. She stared with wide eyes at Root and Shaw before a grateful smile came across her face. “T-Thank you both so much!” She said, clutching the purse against her chest.

Shaw nodded towards the streets. “Get outta here.”

Not needing to be told twice, the young woman took off immediately. Root wiped at her hands, moving to stand beside Shaw. “How did you know we’d run into this?” she asked curiously.

Shaw turned to Root with a shrug. “There’s always some wannabe thugs in this area. Figured we’d come down and crack some heads open if trouble started.”

Root smirked, grabbing hold of the front of Shaw's jacket. “My kind of date night.”

“Like this better than a movie?” Shaw whispered with a grin as Root tugged her forward.

"Mmhm." Root rested their covered foreheads together. “Remind me to show you how much when we get home.”

Police sirens rang out from down the street.

Shaw chuckled at the interruption. “You still have that FBI badge?” She asked.

Root pulled said badge from her back pocket, holding it up proudly. “Don’t leave home without it.”

Shaw peeled off her mask. “Wanna mess with these cops? Go X-Files on them and say numb nuts over here is an extraterrestrial?” she asked with a grin.

Root nodded enthusiastically. “Absolutely.”

Best date night ever.


	18. The Third Wheel

Root was sat at their kitchen table, hacking into God knows what when Shaw entered. Root smiled at her endearingly. Sleepy Shaw was one of her favorites. “Enjoy your nap, Sam?” she asked, planting her chin on her hand as Shaw tiredly ambled over to her.

Shaw yawned, scratching at her side. “How long was I out for?” she glanced outside the window, looks like the sun was about to set. Shaw frowned.

Root reached out and played with the drawstring on Shaw’s sweatpants. “A few hours. I know you said to wake you after an hour, but I didn’t have the heart.” She grinned sheepishly, tugging at the string looped around her finger.

“Root.” Shaw batted Root’s hands away. “Now my sleep schedule's gonna be messed up.”

“I’m sure I’ll find a way to make it up you, Sameen,” Root said with a wink.

Shaw looked away and smirked as she re-tied her drawstrings. “You better,” she said, lifting a suggestive eyebrow. She patted her stomach. “I’m hungry.” Shaw turned to move towards the kitchen.

Root grabbed a handful of Shaw’s tank top and yanked, or tried to, her back. Shaw stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Root with questioning eyes. Root only smiled and tilted her head back with her eyes closed.

Shaw rolled her eyes in amusement. “You’re ridiculous,” she whispered, leaning down to kiss Root.

Root hummed in delight as Shaw pulled away and entered the kitchen. “I’ve been called worse,” she sang out as she turned back to her laptop.

Shaw set off to make herself a sandwich when she heard a giggle come from Root. Her body froze as she held the Pullman loaf in her hands. She frowned. “Something funny about bread?” she asked.

Root looked up at Shaw. “Oh no, not you. I was talking to Her.” Root said as she waved Shaw off and returned to typing on the laptop.

Shaw nodded slowly before turning back to her sandwich. She had just grabbed the mayo and mustard from the fridge when she heard Root mumble something with another giggle. Shaw looked up at Root and saw her engrossed with her laptop once again.

Root grinned. “You’re so bad,” she said with a chuckle.

An uncomfortable heat crept up the back of Shaw’s neck. She cleared her throat pointedly, gaining Root’s attention. Root’s grin dropped minutely. “Not you,” she said, once again, returning to her laptop.

Shaw sighed, letting it go. She picked up a butter knife and the jar of mayo. When she heard another giggle coming from Root, she slammed the mayo down. Root looked up startled. 

Shaw pointed the butter knife at the laptop. “What the hell is going on? Why do you keep giggling like a schoolgirl over there?” she asked with narrowed eyes.

Root tilted her head as her eyes took on a faraway look. Shaw frowned, she knew that look; Root was listening to the Machine. Root suddenly burst into another fit of giggles. Shaw tossed the butter knife down and rounded the counter. 

She stood in front of Root with a scowl. “What are you two talking about? You sayin’ somethin’ about me?” Shaw asked, crossing her arms.

Root settled her laughter, shaking her head. “No, we’re not talking about you, Shaw.”

“Then what is it?”

“ You PnP?” Root asked, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously up at Shaw.

Shaw frowned. “What?”

“Because I wanna RAM this RAW Hard Disk up your Megahertz'd Computer. Nothing PC bout it.”

Shaw blinked at Root. Her arms went slack, dropping to her sides with understanding. “Seriously?”

Root giggled as if it was the funniest thing in the world. She pointed at her laptop. “She taught me that one. So funny.” She doubled over with laughter.

Shaw looked at her as if she had two heads. “She’s been telling you dirty computer jokes?”

“There’s more,” Root said, catching her breath. She looked at Shaw seductively. “Nobody turns me on from a cold boot like you.”

“Stop.” Shaw deadpanned. “And stop telling dirty nerd jokes to each other.”

Root smirked. “Feeling left out, Sameen?”

“No.” Shaw answered a little too quickly as she moved back to the kitchen. “It’s just weird.”

Root chuckled. “No, she just gets like that sometimes.”

Shaw’s head shot up. She gave Root an accusatory stare. “Are you talkin’ about me?”

“I think it’s cute how jealous she gets,” Root continued with a small smile, looking upwards.

“Hey,” Shaw said, waiting until Root looked her way. “Stop. No secret conversations.” She snatched up a tomato before adding, “And I’m not jealous.”

An airy laugh slipped past Root’s lips. “No, you’re fine. Shaw’s harmless.”

Shaw growled under her breath. That’s it. She angrily rounded the counter, once again, stomping over to Root’s laptop. She slammed it shut, narrowly missing Root’s fingers and tossed it onto the floor. The device splintered with cracks.

Root looked up at Shaw with a patient countenance. “Feel better?”

Shaw huffed, moving some stray hairs behind her ear. “A little.” She said with a nod.

“I love it when you get possessive,” Root pushed her chair back, it fell with a loud clatter. She slowly approached Shaw like a cat stalking its prey.

Shaw gave her a look. “No, you just like trying to get a rise out of me.” She stood her ground as Root came nose to nose with her.

Root smirked darkly, resting her arms on Shaw’s shoulders. “Tell me,” she whispered, brushing their lips together. “Did it work?”

Shaw clenched her jaw. “A little,” she hissed, bending down and picking Root up uncermonsily. Root released a small gasp as her feet suddenly left the floor. She wrapped her legs around the shorter woman’s waist as Shaw carried her to their bedroom.

Their neighbor filed a noise complaint the next day.


	19. Needing Direction

“We’re lost.”

“Shut up. We’re not lost.”

“Shaw.” Root pinched the bridge of her nose.

“I know where we are, Root.”

Root shook her head. “We should’ve asked for directions when we passed that rest stop.”

“We don’t need directions.” Shaw tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she looked around, taking in their surroundings. She rolled her eyes as Root sighed beside her once again.

The car fell silent as their “borrowed” truck clunked down the dirt road. It had been an hour since their mission had ended in Cooperstown and Shaw had insisted she knew how to leave the small town and get back into the city.

Except she didn’t.

Now here they were on the outskirts of somewhere, passing cow after cow with not a living soul in sight for the past half hour. They had fallen out of contact with the Machine and the boys, and their phones had no signal. They were, essentially, stranded.

Thanks to Shaw.

Root frowned as they passed a familiar sight. “Didn’t we just see that fence post ten minutes ago?” she asked, craning her neck to look at the object.

Shaw shifted in her seat. “Uh.”

Root’s head shot towards her. “Shaw!”

“Don’t worry,” Shaw said waving a dismissive hand in Root’s direction. “There’s a lot of fence posts that look like that out here.”

Root gave her a look. “With a distinctive red paint mark on the side?”

“...yes.”

“Why won’t you just admit we’re lost?” Root crossed her arms.

“Because,” Shaw drew out with a snarl. “We’re not lost.”

As the last words left her mouth, the truck suddenly began to sputter and shake. Shaw immediately pulled off to the side as the engine began to stall. Root almost laughed at how ridiculous this whole scenario was becoming.

Shaw slammed her fist against the steering wheel. “Damn it.”

“Oh that’s just great,” Root said with a humorless smile. “Fantastic.”

“I could do without the commentary,” Shaw said as she climbed out of the truck to check under the hood. “Let me see what’s going on.”

Root followed after her, slamming the door shut. “You know what I could’ve done without, Shaw?” she asked as her girlfriend popped open the hood. They coughed as smoke poured from under the vehicle's hood. Root angrily waved it away. “I could’ve done without your freaking pride getting us lost in the middle of nowhere!”

Shaw shut the hood down forcibly, glaring at Root. “We are not--”

“We’re lost, Shaw!” Root hissed. “If we’re not, tell me where we are. Hm?” She looked at Shaw with expectant eyes, placing her hands on her hips. She tapped her foot for added emphasis.

Shaw clenched her jaw and looked away. “We might be sort of...misplaced,” she whispered.

“We’re lost.”

Shaw rolled her jaw. “We’re lost.”

Root closed her eyes, running a hand through her hair with a sigh. She took a deep breath and pointed towards the truck. “What’s wrong with it?” Root asked.

“The engine’s shot,” Shaw said, lightly kicking the front tire. “Completely dead.”

“Great.”

Shaw squinted her eyes against the sun as she looked down the deserted the road. “We’ll have to walk to the nearest gas station, I think we passed one not too long ago.” She said, starting back down the road.

Root shook her head as she fell into step beside Shaw. “I can’t believe this.”

“Here we go...” Shaw said under her breath.

“I knew we should’ve asked for directions.”

“You really gonna do this now?”

“But no, you insisted you knew where you were going.”

“Can you not?”

“And who am I to not believe the love of my life?” Root huffed out a laugh. “Silly me, right?”

“Hey,” Shaw pointed at Root. “You should’ve asked your all knowing Inspector Gadget  wife when you had the chance.”

“We’re out of Her range,” Root said with a defensive scoff. “She’s a baby, re-learning everything Her previous version took years to learn. You really expect Her to have that large of a signal reach?”

Shaw rolled eyes. “Then maybe She shouldn’t be sending us on missions that take us out into the middle of…” Shaw turned in a circle, throwing her hands up. “Wherever the hell we are!”

Root shook her head. “Don’t blame the Machine.”

“Don’t blame me.”

“Who was driving the car, Shaw?” Root gave her an incredulous stare.

“Who has an omniscient God in their ear, Root?”

Root stopped, glaring at Shaw. “She can predict when a crime is going to be committed, Shaw. Not incompetence.” She shook her head and continued walking.

Shaw watched her go with a slack jaw. “Did you just call me incompetent?”

Root turned to look at Shaw. “I thought I was the one who was partially deaf.” She crossed her arms.

“Listen,” Shaw stomped over to Root. “I made a mistake, sue me.”

Root leaned forward, using her height as an advantage. “I’d call my lawyer if I had a signal.”

Shaw gave her a deadpan look. “That was a lame comeback.”

“Well forgive me if my wit isn’t up to snuff,” Root said as she brushed past Shaw.

Shaw took hold of her arm. “You’re going the wrong way, Colombo.”

Root tried to shake off Shaw’s grip to no avail. “Let go.”

“Root...”

“I mean it, Shaw,” Root said, shaking her arm. “Let go.”

Shaw released her arm in favor of enveloping Root in her arms. Root stopped her struggle. Her body betrayed her as she immediately melted in Shaw’s arms. Her face softened as she took in Shaw’s apologetic eyes. Damn those expressive eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Root whispered as a smile began to creep on her face. “Sameen…”

“I’m back on first name basis?” Shaw asked with a playful smirk.

“You play dirty,” Root said as a light blush coated her cheeks. “Using that face. You know it gets me every time.”

Shaw chuckled quietly, releasing Root. She sighed as she looked around. “I’ll get us out of here...somehow.” She rubbed her hands together thoughtfully.

Root tilted her head. “Wait, do you hear that?”

“My stomach grumbling?” Shaw asked with an eyebrow raise. “Yeah, I’m starving.”

“No, Shaw,” Root grabbed Shaw’s arm. “It sounds...like a car.”

Shaw’s head lifted. “You’re right. It’s coming from...”

Suddenly, a familiar car ambled down the road and stopped beside them. Root grinned as the driver stepped out of the car with a grumble. “Hello, Lionel.” She greeted.

He gave her a look. “I knew you two would get lost out here,” Fusco said, shaking his head.

“How’d you find us?” Shaw asked with a frown.

“Hey, you’re not the only one who knows how to plant a bug.”

Root checked her jacket lapels. “You bugged us?” She asked unable to mask her surprise.

Fusco nodded proudly. He waved them over to the car. “Get in, Crazy and Crazier.”

Shaw placed her hand on Root’s lower back ushering her towards the car. Shaw patted Fusco on the shoulder before slipping into the car. Root stopped short at the door, turning to the detective. “You really do care about us, don’t you?”

He held a finger to his lips. “Don’t tell anyone, you’ll ruin my reputation.” Fusco winked.

Root smiled before entering the car. Fusco slipped into the driver’s seat. He turned on the stereo and slipped in his CD. “Hope you girls like show tunes.” Fusco said, pressing play.

Root grinned. “Love them!” She chimed from the backseat.

Shaw raised an eyebrow. "You listen to show tunes, Lionel?"

Fusco gave her an affronted look. "It's called being well-rounded."

"The only thing well-rounded about you is your stomach."

"My car, my rules." He said, shifting into drive.

Shaw groaned, pressing her head against the passenger window. “Is it too late to change my mind and walk back home?”

Fusco and Root sang every song from “Mamma Mia” for the rest of the ride home.


	20. Plunge

“We should get married.”

Shaw looked up from her plate, frozen mid-chew. “Can I finish my toast first?” she gestured to her unfinished breakfast.

Root gave her a patient grin. “I mean it, Sameen.”

“So do I.”

“Samaritan’s been gone for nearly two years now, we live together,” Root rested her folded arms on their kitchen table as Shaw continued to eat. “And we’ve been together for three years.”

“Three and a half,” Shaw said, taking a sip of coffee.

Root grinned before shrugging. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t get married.”

“It’s just a piece of paper, Root.” Shaw said as she finished off her plate and carried it to the sink.

Root’s shoulders dropped slightly. “Well...to some maybe, but don’t you think the idea is nice?” she asked as her eyes followed Shaw’s every movement. "The meaning?"

Shaw shrugged, taking a seat at the table once more. “Why do you wanna get married so bad?”

Root huffed out a humorless laugh. “Can’t a gal appreciate a fairy tale ending?” she asked quietly as she looked down at the table, fidgeting with her hands. Shaw followed the movement knowingly. Root tended to fidget when she got upset. That and bite her bottom lip.

Shaw leaned back in her chair. “You’re not really the Cinderella type, Root.” She said, placing her hands on her lap with a smirk.

Root sighed. “You’re right…” she whispered defeated. “It was dumb. Just forget I ever asked.”

“Root.”

“Why would you want to get married? What’s the point?”

“Root.”

“With the line of work we're in...we don’t need marriage, right?”

“Root, shut up.” Shaw practically yelled.

Root’s mouth slammed shut as her head jerked up to look at Shaw with wide eyes. It wasn’t often her girlfriend raised her voice. Especially at her.

Shaw chuckled, shaking her head. She reached into her pant pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, tossing it onto the kitchen table between them as if it were a wallet. Root’s jaw dropped in shock. Shaw grinned nervously.

Root’s eyes darted between the box and Shaw. “Sameen, i-is that?” she trailed off, looking at Shaw with big, hopeful eyes.

“Great minds, huh?” Shaw joked with a hint of apprehension.

Root couldn’t move. She wasn’t sure if she should open the box or kiss Shaw or slap herself awake. Shaw cleared her throat, gaining Root’s undivided attention. Unable to hold Root’s intense stare, Shaw opted to look down at the small, velvet box as she spoke.

“Uh. Look, I’m not one to give a ‘you complete me’ speech but…” Shaw flashed a small grin before her face went stoic. “I know I’m different. I’m not like other people.”

Root opened her mouth to interrupt, but Shaw stopped her with a look. Root silently nodded for her to continue.

“I’m not like other people, but neither are you,” Shaw continued as she looked back down. “That’s what I like...what I love about you. You’ve never seen me as some uncaring, grumpy freak. You only see me and you make me feel…” Shaw paused to gather her thoughts.

Unable to stop herself, Root silently reached across the table and gave Shaw’s hand a squeeze of encouragement. Shaw shot her a grateful look and Root grinned in response. She knew this took a lot for Shaw to say.

Shaw released a silent breath before continuing. “You once said you feel like you ‘finally belong’ when you’re with me. Well, when I’m with you, I feel like...I’m home.” She said, meeting Root’s eyes. She smirked then. “Even if you are a crazy psycho.”

Root choked out a laugh as her eyes watered.

Shaw chuckled before sobering. She squeezed Root’s hand. “You have it.”

Root’s eyes clouded with confusion. “Have what?”

Shaw lifted Root’s hand and placed it over her heart.

A quiet sob spilled from Root’s lips. She nodded in understanding as tears worked their way down her cheeks. Root sniffled as she struggled to keep herself from jumping out of her chair and into Shaw’s arms.

Shaw grinned at Root somewhat teasingly. “You gonna say anything?” she partially joked. “That took a lot for me to get through, you gonna answer me or what?”

Root gave her a watery chuckle. “You didn’t ask yet, Sam.” She managed to say.

Shaw rolled her eyes playfully. “I’m not getting down on one knee.”

“We’ve never been a traditional couple.”

Shaw relinquished her hold on Root’s hand, picking up the velvet box and opening it. Root’s eyes immediately lit up as she took in the sight of the ring. Shaw smirked, looked like she had picked out the right one.

“Will you marry me?” Shaw asked with a grin.

Root bit her bottom lip, swallowing another sob. She released a shaky breath. “Yes, Sameen. I’ll marry you.” She said with a small chuckle and nod.

Shaw gave her an uncharacteristic smile as she slipped the ring onto Root’s finger. She stood and opened her arms, knowing Root was dying for a hug. Root immediately shot out of her seat and wrapped Shaw into the biggest bear hug she’d ever allowed anyone to give her.

Shaw lifted her head, resting her chin on Root’s left shoulder. “By the way, my proposal kicked your proposal’s ass.”

Root could only smile as she held on tighter to her fiancée.

Looks like she’d be getting that fairy tale ending after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the end...for now. I might pick it up with more chapters in the future, but for now we'll call it a day. It's been a pleasure and thank you so much for the lovely, encouraging words and kudos! You're all the best. <3


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